Negotiation Process and Agreeable Course of Action Order Instructions:
Negotiation Process and Agreeable Course of Action Sample Answer
Negotiation Process
To negotiate is essentially to confer or communicate with each other in order to reach a settlement of the matter. Through the negotiating process, the parties establish an agreement and they develop a course of action which has to be followed by each party (Fortgang, Lax & Sebenius, 2011). Assuming that I am the lead negotiator of a small firm as described in the scenario, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of the main approaches which my negotiation team will need to employ to research the government negotiators who will attend the negotiation session as well as the overall operations of the federal government. Similar products produced by the competitors are examined and negotiation gambits that would be used in conducting the negotiation session successfully are described. Lastly, this paper examines the common body language traits which my negotiation team will look for throughout the process of negotiation.
Approaches for researching the government negotiators and government’s operations and Negotiation Process and Agreeable Course of Action
The first approach is using insider reports and industry reports – these would provide very important knowledge with regard to the operations of the government. By reading insider reports, my negotiation team will be able to get information regarding what the government may be prepared to pay for my company’s GPS-guided equipment. The second approach entails asking questions – by asking people in the government some questions, the negotiation team would be able to find information about the government negotiators and the operations of the government that cannot be found somewhere else (Mislin, Campagna & Bottom, 2011). Asking relevant people questions especially people in the government could provide my negotiation team with very relevant and specific information that could then be utilized to the company’s advantage.
Internet search – using this approach, the negotiation team will research about the operations of the government and the individual government negotiators. Moreover, this approach will allow the negotiation team to determine the names of the key government negotiators as well as their titles and positions. Searching the individual negotiators on the internet would enable the negotiation team to find out about the neighborhood where these key government negotiators live in, where they go for shopping, the schools their children go to, and even the church which they often attend. All these information could be utilized in creating rapport afterwards when the process of negotiation starts. In essence, tailoring the tactics of negotiation so that they are well-matched to the individual government negotiators would be helpful (Tomlinson & Lewicki, 2015).
Negotiation Process and Agreeable Course of Action and Similar equipment produced by competitors
At the moment, my company is involved in the production of GPS-guided guidance equipment which could be utilized in many different types of vehicles. Similar equipment that competitors currently produce include: (i) Outback Guidance – this product is a sophisticated precision farming system which is quite expensive and not very easy to utilize. The product uses Global Positioning System (GPS) and is designed for farming use (Outback Guidance, 2016). (ii) The Dozer 2000 machine guidance system from Leica Geosystems – The Dozer 2000 GPS machine guidance system consists of a radio data receiver, ruggedized high-precision Global Positioning System receiver, in addition to a touch screen computer. This product, which is mostly used by mining companies, has a GPS antenna mounted on its topside (Leica Geo-systems, 2016). (iii) The Spirit made by Autonomous Tractor Corporation – Autonomous Tractor Company was established by Terry Anderson and The Spirit, the self-driving tractor which he developed, was Terry Anderson’s initial attempt at a totally automated vehicle. This product is square and gold, and runs on tracks. However, this driverless farm equipment does not utilize the Global Positioning System technology. It works with transponders based on the ground, set up around the farmland’s perimeter and it automatically shuts down upon sensing an obstacle such as a tree stump on its path (Hirsch, 2013).
(iv) Jaybridge Robotics autonomous vehicles – Jaybridge Robotics is a company that specializes in automating vehicles for driverless operation in industrial domains such as mining and agriculture. The company does this through the use of its software and commercial, off-the-shelf parts. The management of Jaybridge Robotics Company believe that the biggest obstacle in making vehicular robotics dependable and cost-effective is actually software. This firm has worked with Kinze Manufacturing in automating Kinze Manufacturing’s line of agricultural equipment (Brown, 2013).
To overcome any objections on quality or price of my company’s product, 2 possible selling points which my team would utilize are as follows. First is that our product is the least expensive compared to the products offered by the competitors, hence they are affordable and cost-effective for the government and the federal government would save money by purchasing our product. Secondly, our product is the easiest to use among all the other products.
Steps in opening the negotiation session
In the process of negotiation, the first stage of the process is the opening session, which is typified by the first meeting or a set of meetings. To open the negotiation session with the negotiators representing the federal government, the important steps which my negotiating team would utilize include the following: step 1: all parties to introduce themselves. At the start of the negotiation session, every party will introduce themselves hence my negotiation team should also do the same (Lewicki, Saunders & Barry, 2015). Step 2: secondly, the negotiation team should seek to understand, then to be understood – the team should ask questions to make sure that the team members actually understand the position and issues of the government negotiators. The team will seek information in order to build their case. Step 3: exchange statements with the government negotiators that show readiness to share ideas, listen, demonstrate openness to reason, and show willingness to bargain in good faith. It is in this step where the negotiation team should describe its product including the price and features of the product and the benefits of using it. Step 4: articulate expectations for the contract negotiation (Fortgang, Lax & Sebenius, 2011).
Negotiating gambits to use
The gambits for negotiation that would be used to carry out a successful process of negotiation include the following: (i) never saying yes to the initial offer. If the negotiation team says yes to the first offer, this would trigger 2 thoughts in the minds of the government negotiators, that something must be wrong or that they could have done better (Lewicki, Saunders & Barry, 2015). (ii) Nibbling – using this gambit, the negotiating team can in fact get slightly more even after they have agreed with the government negotiators on everything. (iii) The negotiating team should ask for more than they are expecting to get – it is worth mentioning that the negotiating team could get away with an opening position that sounds really outrageous if they imply some flexibility. (iv) Being ready to walk away – using this gambit, the negotiating team projects to the government negotiators that they would leave the negotiations if they cannot get what they want (Tomlinson & Lewicki, 2015).
Negotiation Process and Agreeable Course of Action and the Importance of writing a contract which represents my company’s interests
Interests generally lie behind the negotiators’ positions in the negotiation process. In essence, interests are why the negotiator wants the position that they are taking. Understanding interests helps to understand win/win negotiations (Mislin, Campagna & Bottom, 2011). It is important for the negotiator to write the contract which represents the interests of the negotiator’s company because this will allow the negotiator to protect his/her company’s interests in the negotiation and avoid lose of interest. In addition, when the negotiator writes the contract which represents the interests of his/her company, the negotiator would be able to write a contract that (i) maximizes the chances of getting to an agreement that satisfies the interests of the negotiator – that is, the negotiator’s desires and needs; (ii) reaches a contractual agreement that would accomplish its purpose; (iii) reaches an agreement that would last; and (iv) reaches an agreement which would pave the way for other agreements later on in the future (Tomlinson & Lewicki, 2015).
In essence, I would not want to let members of the industry to write the contract primarily because these individuals would want to take advantage of my company. Members of the industry may write a contract which does not maximize the chances of getting to an agreement that satisfies the interests of my company – the negotiator’s company. Secondly, the contract they write might not reach an agreement that would last because my company may not commit to it if a contract is written which shows that my company is a loser in the negotiation. In this case, it would be important for my company to search for a way out of that contract.
Body language attributes to look for in Negotiation Process and Agreeable Course of Action
The common attributes of body language which my negotiation team will be looking for throughout the process of negotiation include Maintaining Friendly Eye Contact: eye contact is a very powerful communication tool between 2 persons since it helps to convey trust, honesty and openness. Nodding the head during the conversation – this helps to defuse tension and build alignment. Other body language attributes include remembering to smile, relaxing one’s body, and keeping an open posture (Mislin, Campagna & Bottom, 2011). These attributes will help my negotiation team to overcome any possible objections or hindrances which may arise in that maintaining a friendly eye contact during the process of negotiation would help to develop a good rapport. It would give the government negotiators the feeling that my negotiators are being honest and clear, both of which make the process of negotiation easy. The negotiators should keep moderately consistent eye contact, although they can look away when processing or thinking since this is natural given that too much eye contact could really be threatening and considered intimidating or aggressive (Tomlinson & Lewicki, 2015). Nodding the head will be helpful in overcoming any potential hindrances or objections since this helps to calm tension during the negotiations and establish alignment. In addition, negotiations could become very intense. As such, assuming a relaxed body posture can really be helpful in easing the tension. On the whole, it is important to ensure that the negotiation process does not become very intense. To reach a successful deal or agreement that would result in a long-term relationship, remembering to smile could help to make the environment friendly for both sides (Tomlinson & Lewicki, 2015).
Negotiation Process and Agreeable Course of Action Conclusion
In conclusion, a negotiation is understood as a process that involves 2 or more persons who try to come to an agreement which satisfies the interests of every party in the negotiation. To research government negotiators and operations of the government, the approaches that would be employed include researching on the internet, asking people questions, and reading insider reports. There are several similar products from the competitors, for instance the Dozer 2000 machine guidance system from Leica Geosystems. Some of the negotiation gambits that would be used include nibbling and never saying yes to the initial offer. The body language attributes to look for include smiling, nodding the head, and maintaining eye contact.
Negotiation Process and Agreeable Course of Action References
Brown, J. H. (2013). From precision farming to autonomous farming: How commodity technologies enable revolutionary impact. Robohub. Retrieved from http://robohub.org/from-precision-farming-to-autonomous-farming-how-commodity-technologies-enable-revolutionary-impact/
Fortgang, R. S., Lax, D. A., & Sebenius, J. K. (2011). Negotiating the spirit of the deal. Harvard Business Review 81: 66–75.
Hirsch, J. (2013). This tractor drives itself. Modern Farmer. Retrieved from http://modernfarmer.com/2013/04/this-tractor-drives-itself/
Leica Geo-systems. (2016). GPS machine guidance. Retrieved from http://www.leica-geosystems.us/en/GPS-Machine-Guidance_1939.htm
Mislin, A. A., Campagna, R. L., & Bottom, W. P. (2011). After the deal: Talk, trust building and the implementation of negotiated agreements. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 115: 55–68.
Lewicki, R. J., Saunders, D. M., & Barry, B. (2015). Negotiation. New York: McGraw Hill.
Outback Guidance. (2016). About outback guidance. Retrieved from http://www.outbackguidance.com/AboutUs.aspx
Tomlinson, E. C., & Lewicki, R. J. (2015). The negotiation of contractual agreements. Journal of strategic contracting and negotiation, 1(1): 85-98.
